Birthday Postcards
by STIXandMANNY
Summary: The postcard had read, Greetings from California, losers. Only Klaus and Ben weren't in California, in fact they hadn't even made it to an actual beach. But that didn't mean they couldn't still enjoy a beach day right here where they were.


**AN: Italics represent what's written on the card, just so there isn't any confusion.**  
**May possibly add other chapters in the future but for now is just a one shot. Hope character don't seem too ooc.**

* * *

The postcard had an old vintage look about it, though the tiny date in the corner suggested it was less than a decade old. Reds and golds of the beach at sunset and silhouetted palms printed on the front, with California across the top in big block letters. The back was littered with an odd scrawl that was undoubtedly Klaus's.

_Greetings from California, losers._  
_Not sure how you guys chose to spend this fine day, but me and Benny boy decided a beach trip was in order. Hence the postcard. The weather my not be perfect but what better excuse to borrow a super loud green, pink and yellow Hawaiian print shirt, and maybe a scarf and gloves because brrr brisk out. Ate fish and chips on the sand, cause that's what you do at the beach, y'know._

Klaus rolled over, pulling his pillow with him and shoving it over his head. He wasn't ready to be back in the world of the awake, but the sounds of someone across the room scratching at a plate with cutlery was stopping him from getting back to sleep. "Shut it, Barry!" Was on the tip of his tongue, he just wanted to shout at the other so he could get some quiet again. But he wasn't even sure it was him, it may be the new guy who claimed the bunk above Barry's last night.

Just one of the many inconveniences of sleeping in a room with four other people, there just always seemed to be someone making noise and sleep ins are near impossible no matter how late you stumbled in the night before.

"I think its karma." Klaus, cracked an eye open, lifting the corner just enough to peek out at his brother who lay next to him. Laying casually on his side elbow bent and head resting on his hand, with a grin that was far too cheerful for what he would soon find out was ten in the morning. "For stumbling in with the grace and noise of a drunken elephant at four o'clock in the morning."

Klaus just let out a groan in return, pulling the pillow back down tight. "Happy birthday." Ben continued, unfazed by his brother's attempts at ignoring him. "I was thinking we should do something different, maybe the beach."

"Give me the mum report." The muffled reply came from under the pillow, and Ben shook his head in amusement. One upside of being a ghost was walls were no longer a restraint even if he preferred not to just pass through objects all the time. It was a little easier to ignore the fact you were no longer one of the living if things weren't going through you all the time. As it was he'd popped out and back in within seconds.

"It is currently 57 °F," complete bullshit, he had no idea what the current temp was outside, besides being on the colder side judging by the amount of people in coats. "The sun is out and skies are blue. Too nice a day to be wasted in bed."

The pillow came off then, tumbling to the floor and Klaus shot up. Remembering just in time that there was another bed above him, "Well, we'd better prepare for the beach then." He grinned. If his brother wanted a day at the beach for their birthday then the beach it was.

"Be back." Number four said before stumbling from the room, faster than one would expect from someone who just a minute ago wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away. Popping his head back around the corner to give a cheerful, "Happy birthday." Before ducking out of sight again.

Ben didn't wait long before he was up and out in the lounge area spotting the other in the doorway of one of the other bedrooms, one of the tackiest shirts he'd ever seen in hand, with pink, yellow and lime Hawaiian print. Both the necklaces he had been wearing in the other, no doubt he was offering the usual, borrow or trade. His brother spun on his heels then, his own belongings still in toe as he made his way back to the room he shared. "Can you believe it, he's just giving it away."

Surprisingly enough he could.

"That shirt burns the retinas." Six pointed out as he watched his brother dig through the mess of clothes layering his bed, searching pockets and his pillow case for lose cash.

"Its beachy."

"It's the middle of fall."

"I'll wear a scarf then." His brother huffed back in playful argument as he pulled a small plastic bag from the pocket of one of his shoe's, with a triumphant ah-ha, before swallowing the two blue capsules inside.

"Klaus!" Ben hissed.

"Relax, it's just to keep the childhood trauma at bay." The other replied with a lopsided smile as he wrapped an equally glary knitted yellow scarf around his neck. Leaving on last nights black skinny jeans that were ripped in several places for both aesthetic and from wear and pulling on his old converse.

A quick stop at his locker for any other cash he had and they were on their way, stepping outside onto the street Klaus gave a full body shiver. Rubbing his black fingerless gloved hands up his arms, "Brrrr brisk out."

"I told you to grab a jacket, its always windier at the beach. You really should grab a jacket."

"I like to look the part, well as much as one can when they don't actually own beach clothes, because they had a sad, deprived childhood." He waved his brother's nagging off with a wave of his hand as he started down the street. "All cool, I'm adjusting to the change in temperature as we speak, either that or the pills are kicking in. So relax will you, we're going to the seaside."

Or not. Turns out even after scraping together all he owned he was six dollars short the bus fair to the beach and back. Six measly dollars, and the jackass wouldn't let him board, six dollars was hardly going to send the bus company bankrupt.

"Looks like that idea went bust pretty quickly." Ben shrugged at his side, sounding rather nonchalant about their trip that was cut short before it even really started.

"What about the people who don't have money. Surely they could make a concession for the people who don't have money. It's called being considerate!" Klaus sulked, raising his voice a little towards the end so the driver would hear.

Even if his brother was shrugging it off as though it didn't faze him, Klaus was still disappointed and he knew deep down Ben was to. If it wasn't for him his brother could go to the beach whenever he wanted, he could go to the movies or visit the bookstore, go anywhere really without being confined to his useless brother's restraints. But Ben was tethered to him, stuck following him like a second shadow, whether it was the will of the universe, Ben's own doing or his own selfish need to cling to his brother. The deep-seated fear of letting go and being truly alone, because he was certain he needed his brother far more than Ben needed him.

If Ben was still alive he had no doubt he'd be off living his own life like the rest of his siblings, leaving Klaus to the sidelines. Not that anyone could have prevented what happened, not unless they could see the future, no matter how much any of them had blamed themselves. All the Should have been faster's, should have been with him, the should have been me's. Okay that one may have just been him, 'To go on missions Vanya, you have to have a partner.' Yeah, some partner he'd been he'd let Ben go in alone. Not that he could have changed that, his brother always went in alone, he didn't want his siblings to see, didn't want to scare them. Afraid he'd accidently hurt or kill a loved one if they were near him when he let the monster loose.

He was sick of letting his brother down, of his own messed up life ruining everyone else's. Damn it if Ben wanted a beach trip he was giving him the beach experience even if there's no actual beach involved. They may be restrained to the city but he was determined to make this work...

Which is how they ended up sitting in some old sandpit in a park that was currently empty. Paper wrapped fish and chips sat between them, as they watched the clouds gathering overhead, slowly blotching out clear blue with smokey grey. It was you're typical cheap takeaway shop food, who knew what the fish was but it was coated in a thick golden batter and smothered in salt both chicken and plain and tasted great enough whatever it was. Unfortunately the sand pit added its own grit to the flavour.

"Mmm, fish and chips in the sand, has its own unique added crunch. Yummy." He laughed in amused sarcasm as he took another bite, shoving a few chips in as well. "You know its actually quite hard to distinguish the sand from the salt just looking at it. My mouth certainly tastes the difference though."

"For once I don't miss being able to eat." Ben announced, nose scrunching just a tad. He could hear the odd crunch of sand in his brother's teeth and it didn't sound overly appealing.

"That's what you do at the beach tough, ain't it, eat lunch on the sand. All part of the experience, my friend." He shrugged, stuffing another handful of chips in his mouth and getting a disgusted look sent his way as he spoke through them. "Next time it'll be on the actual beach, who knows maybe the sand tastes saltier there being at the ocean and all."

"You really are.. Something, you know that." Ben huffed in amusement, laying back on his elbows in the sandpit. Not that he could feel the sand beneath him, you didn't really feel anything anymore once you're a ghost. Only Klaus would wonder if sand had different flavours based on location.

"Genius, fabulous, superb. Just a few word that Spring to mind."

"Oddly enough not a single one of those sprung to mine." Six teased.

Klaus got to his feet then, wiping the sand from the back of his pants before scooping up the rubbish from lunch. "Well that's lunch down and I've officially got sand in both my pants and my shoes, what say we move along to the next agenda?"

"Lead the way."

_Okay, truth be told, I was a little short for the bus fare to the beach and back, but we still ate fish and chips in the sand. It just happened to be a sand pit in an old empty playground. Not sure why eating on the sand is a thing, sand and food not the greatest mix. Anyway, we then went and splashed about in the shallows looking for shells, that was fun. Did you know they have park security down at central, I did not know that! Two of them come and chased us out, apparently they don't like people playing in the fountain and while tossing coins in the fountain is okay, sea shells are frowned upon. Crazy!_

The next agenda as it turned out was a visit to some of the most awful shops in town. One that despite the current season and oncoming winter months still had far to many racks dedicated solely to gaudy Hawaiian print shirts. Though admittedly less gaudy than the one his brother currently wore. Some Chinese food store that stank of fish, the back half of the store being a large walk in freezer room filled with tables of pick yourself iced fish and other mystery aquatic creatures, being the reason for this. He wasn't entirely sure what the point of them walking around a room of dead fish was meant to achieve.

A dollar store, in which they had purchased two lays made of bright coloured material flowers. One each, of course his had gone straight through him and onto the floor when Klaus had put it over his head. With a horrible joke about the two of them getting 'laid'. His brother now wore them both around his neck with his scarf. And now they were here in a tacky little souvenir store, filled with key chains, cheap plastic ornaments, printed coffee mugs and those nasty tee shirts everyone dreaded getting when a friend or family member went on holiday.

Ben was desperately trying to divert his brother away from the snow globe collection he was currently looking over, before he broke something. "Why exactly have we been to all these strange shops?" He asked, darting his hands forward in a pointless attempt to try and catch the globe Klaus was currently looking over in case he should drop it. Klaus was never the most reliable when it came to handling breakable items.

"These are the cheesy kind of touristy stores you find at the beach." His brother supplied, obviously a guess at what you might find considering neither had ever been to the beach before.

"And the dead fish?"

"You catch fish in the ocean, so it makes sense that you'd sell them by the ocean."

Point taken. He was just about to verbally tell his brother to step away from the snow globes for the third time, before he actually dropped the one he was rolling in his hands to the shelf below, likely smashing several in one hit. When a stand in the corner caught the other's attention.

"Oohh postcards! We have to get one." He awed as he skipped over to the stand, giving it a spin.

"A postcard really?" Ben chuckled, looking over the cards littering the stand.

"Yeah, we can write to the others. Let them know we don't need them to have a brilliant birthday, we're perfectly capable of have a great day on our own." He shuffled through a few cards before pulling one out and holding it out for his brother to inspect. "Howz about sunny California."

"California sounds great." Why not, if his brother wanted to write to the rest of their family who was he to stop him. Maybe it would help Klaus feel closer to the family who always seemed to be too busy for him of late, even if only for a few minutes. His brother wore one of his ever rarer genuine smiles as he made his way to the counter to pay for the small rectangle of card. A smile that made Ben's own lips curve upwards.

...

"Let's go for a wade!" Klaus grinned wildly, stumbling as he attempted to pull his shoes of as he went in his rush to get to the fountain in the middle of the park. Completely unfazed as usual to the odd looks and glances thrown his way. Dropping his shoes in a pile by the fountain, rolling up his jeans before climbing inside. Giving a small yelp as he danced about in spot for a moment before turning back to his brother. "Come on Benny after the initial toe numbing shock the water's fine."

"You do remember you're the only one who can see me right? Everyone thinks you're insane!" Ben called, from where he stood by his brother's discarded shoes.

"Let them! I probably am insane!" The other laughed back, arms out stretched and facing the sky as he danced in circles in the water. "Just enjoy the moment!"

When Ben didn't immediately join him, Klaus paused, taking a moment to stop the world swirling around him before sending his brother an admonishing look. "You can't go to the beach and not go in the water. We can look for sea shells."

That one earned his brother a strange look, Ben wasn't sure if Klaus realised but while there may have been a couple coins at the bottom of the fountain there were certainly no shells. Then the idiot pulled a bag of shells from the hand pocket in the end of his scarf, a bag number four must have swiped from the dollar store while he wasn't watching because he certainly didn't see him with them when he was at the counter. Tearing the bag open and tossing the small yellowish white shells scattering across the water.

"Did you steal those?" He asked even though he already knew the answer. His brother was becoming quite inept at pilfering of late.

"Well I couldn't put them on the counter with you standing right there, it would've ruined the surprise. Surprise!" Klaus fluttered his hands in a dazzling manner before waving the other over. "Now get in here we have shells to collect."

Ben shook his head, though he couldn't help the amused chuckle as he climbed into the fountain after his insane sibling. As insane as this day has been, what with their impromptu beach trip in the confines of the city, he could see the effort Klaus was putting into this for him. Trying to turn their failed trip into something fun, it kind of was in its own bizarre and wacky way.

He knew his brother felt as though he had let him down by not having enough for the bus fair, for being the reason they couldn't go to the beach like he'd wanted. Not that he cared too much to begin with, it was never really about the beach, it just happened to be the suggestion that came to mind. It was about getting Klaus out of bed and productive, doing something fun, a change in pace, a chance for him to relax for a change and forget about the demons and nightmares that haunt him.

He knew Klaus felt guilty, guilty that Ben couldn't be free because his spirit was tethered to him. Stuck with him and his mess whether he wanted or not. Yes his brother was a mess, a spiralling mess of a young man who tried to make the best out of everything tossed his way. Mess and all, underneath he was still the kind and caring, one of a kind Klaus he'd always been. Ben wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else, okay there were some moments when he'd rather be elsewhere, but for the most part he was glad.

Dying had been terrifying, knowing you were dead and stuck as a spirit even more so. Having his brother there with him from the start had made it less so, having some one familiar who he loved dearly by his side made it a hell of lot less scary. Knowing he didn't have to face things alone, made it easier, though to this day part of him still feared what would come once that tether was severed. His brother cared for his siblings deeply and while he tried not to show it outwardly, their opinions mattered to him. He didn't want to disappoint or let anyone down and always went out of his way to help when he could.

While their other siblings mostly saw Klaus as a nuisance or a failure now days, he could never see his brother that way, dysfunctional yes, and more than a little broken, but never a failure. Anyone who put as much effort into making someone else happy could never be a failure.

Klaus let out a scream as Ben entered the fountain, stumbling back a step as he shouted. "Oh my god, did you see that!"

His brother seemed to be pointing down by Ben's feet, though when he looked down he saw nothing unusual. So looking back up with a questioning look he asked. "What?"

The snicker started before the other even spoke and number six knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "It's a tentacled Octo-Ben." Klaus laughed hysterically, jumping back playfully to avoid the splash Ben couldn't send his way. Even though he'd kicked his leg through the water as if he were splashing his brother anyway.

"So funny." He replied sarcastically though a grin broke out across his lips despite his efforts to hold it back.

"I'm charming and brilliant and all around amazing to boot." Klaus shot back with a smug smile and a waggle of his brows.

"Oh that's completely debatable." He scoffed back, as his brother bent over to pick through the shells at his feet. Ben wading around the water with him and pointing out shells for his brother to collect, unfortunately it wasn't long before the sound of someone clearing there throat sounded from behind them.

The two turning to find a man and woman dressed in matching khaki green coats with patches sewn on the arms and breast. The front patch reading Park Security.

"Okay kid, I'm going to have to ask you to get out of the fountain, now." The man said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, you see I'm kind of busy collecting sea shells at the moment." Klaus replied picking up a shell for emphasis.

"Get out of the fountain now, sir, or we'll fine you for littering." The female ordered, tone suggesting she wasn't in the mood for games.

Klaus simply raised a brow, letting out an amused scoff as he said. "What are you the fun police? If you didn't want people playing in the fountain you should have put up a sign."

The woman forcefully pointed to a plaque screwed to the lip of the fountain and both brother's looked down to read. 'Please do not play in the fountain.'

"Well maybe you should have put up a bigger sign."

"Get out of the fountain." The male ordered.

"Make me." Klaus challenged with a laugh, Ben hissing his name in warning from his side.

The man lunged for him then and Klaus stepped back in avoidance before kicking a thick wave of water at the two security officers. Calling, "Run Ben!" As he jumped out of the water feature, sprinting across the park.

"Your shoes!" Ben called after his bother as they ran from the pursuing park security officers.

"Forget them, they were old anyway and the left one had a hole in its toe." Klaus replied in a bubbly shout.

"Think this is more the stuff we were supposed to get up to in our teen years." Ben commented as they finally slowed a couple blocks away, having managed to loose there perusers. Though he was pretty sure the two had stopped chasing once they left the park and there hadn't really been need to keep running the next two blocks.

"Guess we're making up for our missed childhood." Klaus giggled, as he made his way over to a nearby food vender asking if he sold ice-cream, before ordering two cones. Turning back and offering one to his brother, all Ben could do is raise a brow. Sometimes he honestly wondered if Klaus forgot he was dead sometimes.

They made their way down into the subway next, ice-cream in hand, which perplexed him a little as they still had forty minuets before the train heading their way would arrive. He understood why as they descended the stairs and his brother turned left, parking himself on the pavement in front of the large billboard, depicting palm trees and the ocean. Some advertisement for a tropical holiday. The sounds of the ocean and seagulls crackling through speakers in the side.

Ben sat with him, mimicking his brothers cross legged position and watched as Klaus stood the spare ice-cream cone against the wall. Licking a drip sliding down the side of his own as he pulled the postcard and a pen from his pocket. Looking to over at Ben as he asked.

"Okay, so where do we start?"

_Sooo, after losing the park patrol we brought cheap ice-cream cones from a street vender and here we are eating them in front of that big tropical escape billboard in the subway. Yeah, so we had a brilliant b'day, how bout you guys? Oh! Congrats on landing your first big role Allison, lead female in what looks to be a killer movie. Need to start stashing some cash so we can see it when it comes out. Diego, word is you made the police academy, you're going to smash it I just know you are. You better, would be handy having a bro in the police force to bail me out when I'm in trouble._

_Luther... Number 1, you need to get out of that house man, away from dad. Live a little, seriously. Crash with me for a couple of days they have a spare bed where I'm staying at the moment, I'll take you out for a killer night on the town. Show you all the best places to party. Vanya, tiny, quiet Vanya, you have that growth spurt yet? If not I'm sorry to say but I think you're destined to remain pint sized forever. Over heard some music dick at the bar the other night mention you, something about joining a music group or something. He said you'd be stuffed in the back, there may have been mentions of chairs. Whatever, you know I have no clue when it comes to classical stuff anyway. Bet they're just trying to hide you away cause they're threatened by your mad skill, my brother bias say's you're a god on the violin. Ben says you'll make first chair in no time, might have to start calling you number 1 then, Luther might not like that._

_And Five, can't forget you bro. Come home dude, most of us have fled the house of horrors, you don't gotta worry about dad no more. You can crash with me and Ben, Allison probably has spare rooms in her flashy apartment being an up and coming Hollywood star and all. I know you ain't dead, if you were you'd be trailing me around like a bad smell as well. Ha-ha, so glad Ben can't physically hit me, otherwise I'd be in a world of pain for that. The other's are bound to welcome you to there homes, no one gives me addresses, I think they think I'll just come over to steal their stuff. Yet here I am writing a postcard I can't even send just to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUYS! Thinking of ya's always. Love your favourite brothers of all time, Klaus & Ben._

_Ps. Some birthday cash wouldn't go astray ;p_

"Jokes! Come on Ben it was a joke, no need for embarrassment we're not really scabbing for cash. You know I can't send this anyway." Klaus pouted, pocketing the postcard as he scrabbled to his feet to catch up with his retreating brother.

"We're going to miss the train." Ben pointed out, already standing in the open carriage.

"Right." He dumped the melted cone that was his dead brother's in the trash as he jumped aboard just as the doors signalled they were closing. "What say we hit up the cub for a little birthday night partying." He said as they found a seat.

"I say you are going to freeze to death if you stay out late. You don't have a coat and now you don't have shoes either." Ben dead paned, with a roll of his eyes.

"The alcohol will warm me up." He pointed out cheerfully, his smile slipping a little as his hands hugged his temples. "I haven't had a hit since this morning, it's starting to get loud again."

"Okay," Ben caved, not that there was much he could do to stop his brother in the first place. It was there birthday after all and he knew how much his brother hurt when the voices that haunt him got to loud. Until someone finally paid enough attention to the family's addict to realise he wasn't going to change without some serious help, this was the only means of copping they had. "But only long enough to silence the voices and then its back to the hostel before you actually do freeze to death."

"Promise."


End file.
